Friction welding fuses two objects together using heat generated by rubbing them together with pressure. It’s ideal for objects with different melting points. It’s technically a type of forging, but classified as welding. Spin and linear friction welding are used for metals, while orbital friction and linear vibration welding are used for thermoplastics. It’s useful for joining materials that can’t be joined with traditional welding methods.
Friction welding is a type of welding that uses the heat created by rubbing one object against another to fuse the two together. Pressure is applied to the two objects to aid in this fusion. The heat is created by the friction of objects, so it occurs directly in the area being fused together and has little effect on the surrounding areas. This process is ideal for two objects that have very different melting points. It creates a bond between the two surfaces through fusion, but doesn’t literally melt the materials in the process.
Since smelting does not typically occur during the actual procedure, this process is technically a type of forging rather than a type of welding. The process is very similar to welding, however, and is classified as such. Within friction welding, there are two categories of welding techniques. The former technique fuses different metals together while the latter is used with thermoplastics.
Metals can be melted through friction welding techniques such as spin welding or linear friction welding, both of which are similar processes. Spin welding, also known as inertia welding, causes one piece to rotate while the other remains stationary. Pressure is applied and the rotating workpiece gradually stops. The heat and pressure cause a bond to form between the two materials. Line welding follows the same process, but the workpiece is rubbed up and down rather than rotated.
In thermoplastics, friction welding can join a plastic and a metal. This is a useful way to join materials that cannot be joined using traditional welding methods. Goggles are an everyday example of the advantages of welding thermoplastic materials. Plastic eyeglass frames can connect with metal hinges through a friction welding process. This would be more difficult to achieve without friction welding due to the fact that metal and plastic have such different melting points.
Orbital friction welding and linear vibration welding are techniques used on thermoplastic materials. Linear vibration welding uses vibration and pressure to rub pieces together to create the fusion, while orbital friction welding causes points of one material to rotate against the surface of the other. As the plastic begins to melt under the heat, the process continues until the plastic has softened. Then the process is stopped and as the plastic cools it forms a bond. These processes help to easily join a variety of different materials without requiring additional materials or nuts and bolts.
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